7954 replies to this topic

[JPW]

What a coinkydink, I made pizza last night too.
Trader Joe's dough.
I had italian sausage from Snider's with homemade red sauce..
Mrs JPW had a white pizza with spinach and feta.

[shogun]

Christened the new kitchen by making some awesome pasta using Mystery Sauce 1-7 (Which I think was the Fermano's butter sauce, but my score sheet is still packed somewhere), some hot Italian sausage, peppers, and onions, and half of the fettuccine I made at the tomato tasting event. Sauce turned out great, but the pasta was a little over done. It was in the water MAYBE 90 seconds.

Enjoyed with roasted garlic on bread, a la The Stinking Rose (Cut off the top of a head of garlic, season, drizzle with olive oil, or in my case butter and grapeseed oil because I had no olive oil but didn't notice until I needed it. Just figured I grabbed a bottle from the old place while moving out...guess not , then roast until soft), and some plonk++ merlot.

Guess it's true what they say: Give a man some pasta, he'll eat for a night. Teach a man to make pasta, and he'll want to buy lots of expensive equpiment.

Edited by shogun, 11 June 2005 - 09:38 PM.

[mktye]

Mystery Sauce 1-7 (Which I think was the Fermano's butter sauce, but my score sheet is still packed somewhere)

Ding-ding-ding... you picked the overall winner... Hunt's.

We also had some of the leftover butter sauce last night (it was a mixture of the leftovers from making all the butter sauces). Combined it with some chopped bresaola, egg, mozzarella and leftover rice, formed the mixture into patties, which were then breaded and fried until crispy on the outside. Served with a bit more of the sauce spooned over the top. Mmmm.

[mdt]

I just finished up using some leftover sauce to make a big dish of baked ziti.

While not exactly dinner I have been making strawberry preserves. The batch currently cooking is the recipe for Strawberries with Black Pepper and Fresh Mint from Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber.

[Heather]

I just finished up using some leftover sauce to make a big dish of baked ziti.

While not exactly dinner I have been making strawberry preserves.  The batch currently cooking is the recipe for Strawberries with Black Pepper and Fresh Mint from Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber.

Mike are you canning or freezing the preserves?

I have not picked up Mes Confitures yet. It's on the list. Do you have Fine Preserving by Catherine Plagemann? It's worth picking up if you can find it used.

On topic: Dinner tonight is steak on the grill, corn on the cob, and haricots vert with vinaigrette. Some Jadot Morgon - Bellevue? - or another picked up at Sutton Place a while back.

Edited by Heather, 12 June 2005 - 02:59 PM.

[alan7147]

Wanted to share a great salad recipe that is really simple, yet delicious. We peeled and seeded 2 cucumbers and chopped them roughly, then half of a vidalia onion chopped, a cup of grape tomatoes halved, a half cup of kalamata olives and a half cup of chopped radishes. Topped it all with a half cup of crumbled feta and a dash of oil based italian salad dressing. It was all the best parts of a Greek salad. I never think of making a salad wihtout lettuce, but I will from now on. It went great with the lemon garlic rotisserie chicken from Wegman's and some steamed veggies.

[MelGold]

God bless the great state of Texas for producing some of the most amazing BBQ brisket and sausage I've had privilege to eat in a VERY long time. The gorge fest at my parents' house last night was definitely worth the extra 25 pounds my dad had to lug back with him on the plane from Corpus Christi!

By the way, for general knowledge, you can't bring dry ice on a plane with you, but if you "tip" the TSA agent $40, he'll let it through! (??????)

[CrescentFresh]

By the way, for general knowledge, you can't bring dry ice on a plane with you, but if you "tip" the TSA agent $40, he'll let it through! (??????)

Ok, I'm game for hearing the details on this transaction, if you're willing to share.

[bilrus]

Rigatoni with Basil and Walnut Pesto made from the first generous bunch of basil picked minutes earlier from my planter herb garden. As fresh as you'd imagine.

Edited by bilrus, 13 June 2005 - 08:33 PM.

[JPW]

I bought some pizza dough at Wegmans yesterday to make tonight.  To my dismay, when I got home from work the dough had expanded to three times its original size(so much so that it couldn't be used). I have bought dough many times at Vace before and this has never happend. Anyone had this happen to them or know what caused this?

You should post this in the chat with Furstenburg.

Short answer - Dough wasn't properly proofed by Wegman's

[hillvalley]

And then there is Vace for the rest of us

Dinner tonight was chilled pea soup (Thank you Mrs. & Mr. B, they were better than you thought), spaghetti with a pureed asparagus and piave sauce and chilled strawberry soup with vanilla rum.

[bilrus]

I've posted about this sandwich before, but this time I have pictures. Bacon, lettuce, red, yellow and orange on the vine tomatoes (I should have waited a few more weeks, oh well), Monterey jack cheese, fried egg and mayo on challa. It might not look very good, but it is pretty tasty.

[bilrus]

Strip steak with smoked paprika rub and chimichurri and Trader Joe's garlic fires (first time for these and they are really good, highly recommended).

[cjsadler]

Alabama jumbo lump crab from Black Salt with avocado, salsa and roasted pepper sauces.

[cjsadler]

And some deviled eggs with salsa verde, ala Two Amys.

[mdt]

Last night was spicy beef with basil served with brown jasmine rice and steamed sugar snap peas.

Nice presentation there cjsadler!

[bilrus]

Tonight the rus family had Shrimp "Ceviche" Cocktail from Rick Bayless' Mexico - One Plate at a Time.

Edited by bilrus, 16 June 2005 - 09:32 PM.

[cjsadler]

Pork chop with red onion, dried cherry and pecan stuffing. This was from a recent issue of Cook's Illustrated. The stuffing was really tasty, which seems to have led to me seriously overstuffing the chop, as you can see (it just seemed to keep taking it, so I kept on stuffing... oops).



And then these light vanilla cakes with strawberry-lime marmalade for dessert, from the Cafe Boulud cookbook. They weren't too bad.

[CrescentFresh]

Pork chop with red onion, dried cherry and pecan stuffing.  This was from a recent issue of Cook's Illustrated. The stuffing was really tasty, which seems to have led to me seriously overstuffing the chop, as you can see (it just seemed to keep taking it, so I kept on stuffing... oops). 

Chris, I've been doing a lot of stuffed pork chops too recently, and this stuffing you've got here is one I'll have to try. I've been most recently going with corn bread, carmelized onions, sherry soaked raisins and chile powder.

I've been saucing them with a reduction of the leftover sherry cut with cream, which I haven't been thoroughly happy with. Wabeck suggested I try stock/demiglace for a little less sharpness which is my next plan. It doesn't look like it from the image, but are you putting a pan sauce on yours?

[cjsadler]

Chris, I've been doing a lot of stuffed pork chops too recently, and this stuffing you've got here is one I'll have to try. I've been most recently going with corn bread, carmelized onions, sherry soaked raisins and chile powder.

I've been saucing them with a reduction of the leftover sherry cut with cream, which I haven't been thoroughly happy with. Wabeck suggested I try stock/demiglace for a little less sharpness which is my next plan. It doesn't look like it from the image, but are you putting a pan sauce on yours?

No pan sauce on this. I guess they felt it could do without on this one, since the stuffing was very moist and strong in flavor (it was like a jam or chutney). However, just about anything could be improved with demiglace!

Where do you buy your chops? I had them special cut me a thick rib chop at Whole Foods, but they seemed to imply this was a one time thing they were doing for me (they have for sale only very thin rib chops ("quick cook") at the P St Whole Foods) ...and it wasn't cheap either.

[CrescentFresh]

No pan sauce on this. I guess they felt it could do without on this one, since the stuffing was very moist and strong in flavor (it was like a jam or chutney). However, just about anything could be improved with demiglace!

Where do you buy your chops? I had them special cut me a thick rib chop at Whole Foods, but they seemed to imply this was a one time thing they were doing for me (they have for sale only very thin rib chops ("quick cook") at the P St Whole Foods) ...and it wasn't cheap either.

Mine are the boneless center cut chops, also from P St. I did get their bone-in rib chops once or twice and didn't seem to think they were too thin. The bone-ins take up too much room in my pan, though.

And if they had a problem cutting your meat to order, we should find someplace else to get them.

[Gastro888]

BBQ turkey sausage, salmon cake and burger. Yummm.

[alan7147]

Strip steak with smoked paprika rub and chimichurri and Trader Joe's garlic fires (first time for these and they are really good, highly recommended).

Is that paprika rub store bought or did you make it yourself? I am grilling some hanger steaks tonight and was thinking of doing a dry rub for them.

[bilrus]

Is that paprika rub store bought or did you make it yourself? I am grilling some hanger steaks tonight and was thinking of doing a dry rub for them.

I made it myself. Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsely and a little red pepper. Turned out very good, although it did start to burn/char a little bit, although I caught it in time. This was the first time I'd done this one, but I bought a bag of smoked paprika at Reading Market last weekend. I like the flavor it gives without being overly paprika-y.

Edited by bilrus, 17 June 2005 - 02:47 PM.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I made it myself.  Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsely and a little red pepper.  Turned out very good, although it did start to burn/char a little bit, although I caught it in time.  This was the first time I'd done this one, but I bought a bag of smoked paprika at Reading Market last weekend.  I like the flavor it gives without being overly paprika-y.

Bill:

Can you be a little more precise on the smoked paprika rub, and what is the recipe for the chimichurrri?

[bilrus]

Bill:

Can you be a little more precise on the smoked paprika rub, and what is the recipe for the chimichurrri?

The rub was a "thrown it in a bag and mix it together" sort of thing, so my measurements didn't really exist. But I think I used about 4 tbs of the paprika, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbs parsley and two or three dashes of the red pepper and some salt. Covered all surface areas of the two steaks with the rub and I let it sit in the fridge overnight.

The recipe that most closely approximates the one i used is one from Cooking Light although I used a bit more oil and a bit less vegetable broth.

Edited by bilrus, 17 June 2005 - 04:49 PM.

[alan7147]

Grilled some hanger steaks(with Bilrus' dry rub) and chicken breasts tonight. The steaks turned out great, but I'm sure an overnight sit in the fridge with the dry rub would only have enhanced the flavor. Also on the grill was red and orange peppers, portobellos & zucchinis. To drink: Domaine de Pouy and a 1999 Domaine Saint Benoit Chateauneuf du Pape La Truffiere

[Al Dente]

Had the future in-laws over for dinner last night. Went quite well!

Started off with some Whole Foods abused cheeses (these were quite good though) and a baguette from Firehook. I think we had Emmenthaler, Bleu D’Auvergne, and a double cream Brie. Next up were some spinach, pine nut, and Gorgonzola raviolis from Eastern Market that I served with good sea salt and a drizzle of truffle oil. These were phenomenal-- I only wish I could have taken credit for the pasta. Then I served up some roasted organic chickens (also from Eastern Market) done a la Les Halles Cookbook with some Herbes de Provence compound butter stuffed under the skin. This was served with broccolini that had been blanched and then sautéed with thin slices of garlic and red pepper flakes. We drank some Gruet bubbly that was given to us as a gift along with a couple of Alsatian whites.

I enjoyed trying out a number of new pots and pans and setting our table for the first time with new dishes and flatware. A DR.com dinner party is somewhere on the horizon.

[Gastro888]

Dinner was at Maria's last night - wonton soup, HK style milk tea (w/ extra milk, pls), crinkle cut French fries (and they were extra crispy and GOOD), and a couple of stolen bites of Portguese chicken with rice. That's a bake rice dish - chucks of fried boneless chicken in a light Chinese yellow curry sauce with onions, bell pepers and a bit of cheese on top. A wee bit, enough to make you go hmmm.

Canto-fied Western food. Gotta love it.

[JPW]

NY Strip seasoned with black pepper.
Baby greens salad with simple vinagrette.
Biscuits.
Niebaum (sp?) - Coppola Black Diamond Claret.
(My brother gave me the last item, it was good but nothing special to me)

[Tweaked]

Sauted Soft Shell Crab over a bed of arugula.

Sauted crab for a couple minutes a side, removed.
then tossed some minced shallots into the pan
deglazed with white wine and reduced wine to pan almost dry
add juice of about a third of a lemon
salt, pepper, dash of garam masala
added a couple of pats of butter and let it all reduce for a couple more seconds
bed of arugula, place crab on top, drizzle reduced pan sauce on top.
eat!

[JPW]

Chicken fajitas!

[cjsadler]

Had a little Mexican feast/party for some friends that are moving. Forgot to take any pics.

Traditional and strawberry-basil margaritas
Pineapple salsa
Tomatillo-avocado salsa
Red chile enchiladas
Green chili rice
Borracho beans

I'll be damned if I can figure out how to cook enchiladas that aren't falling apart and a bit soggy, though (even after doing the 'dip the tortillas in hot oil before rolling' step).

[Gastro888]

White rice, iced jasmine green tea and Chinese roast pork chowed with soy sauce. Oh my goodness...pork fat rules. Helllll yeah, baby.

[hillvalley]

The last bowl for the season of chilled roasted asparagus soup and a plate of prosciutto, mozzarella balls and micro basil. I added a balsamic vinegar reduction and extra virgin after the pic.

[crackers]

Midsummer night sail to watch the full moon rising and discuss the state of the world. Buckets of sangria, prosciutto and melon, crab dip, cheeses, bbq flank steak, spinach salad, bow tie pasta salad, blueberry pound cake, lemon pound cake and more sangria.
. . . . . . . . .

Edited by crackers, 21 June 2005 - 10:14 PM.

[JPW]

Pork and eggplant stir fry.

A nice German Riesling.

[Kanishka]

Organic Beer Can Chicken, grilled asparagus, sorrel and arugula salad...

Chicken wasn't as good as Palena's, but beer can chicken is damn fun anyway.

K

[shogun]

I've always kind of wondered about that aspect of beer can chicken. Can you really tell the difference using an organic vs. a non-organic can?

[Kanishka]

A serious response to your helpful call on my misplaced modifier:

If you're making beer can chicken, don't bother with that expensive can of Boddingtons. The type of beer really doesn't matter (though a can filled with water just doesn't have the same effect). I use Budweiser, which I believe is as close to organic as Robocop.

And can you even get organic beer in a can? What a waste.

[MelGold]

Soft tacos filled with shrimp (pan seared with a bit of cayanne & garlic), avocado, cucumber and wasabi mayo.

[bookluvingbabe]

First roasted cauliflower of the season is in the oven. Husband came home and said the apartment smelled purple.

Will also have some sort of salmon that I must decide about in the next little while.

[Al Dente]

The best Steak House in DC
I know where it is...

At my place:

Attached Thumbnails

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[cjsadler]

Rock shrimp (the ones that Trader Joe's sells are great) with parsnip puree and basil



And apricot-frangipane tartlets. This year is the first time I've had fresh apricots and I'm really loving them.

[hillvalley]

Clams baked in tomato sauce
Sautéed zucchini and artichoke bottoms in couscous

Big bowl of blueberries with strawberry sauce and whipped cream

[Kanishka]

Canales Meat's "American Cut" pork chop -- a mammoth piece of pork that is roughly a 2 by 2 by 8 rectangle.

I dry rubbed it for a day in a mix of kosher salt, chili powder, Adobo, and a touch of garlic powder. The original intention was to grill it, but with the rain I broiled it for 40 minutes, turning 90 degrees on the vertical every ten minutes. After broiling and letting it settle for about 5-7 minutes, I sliced it into medallions and topped it with a slightly warmed reduction of champagne vinegar and chili flakes.

It was the bomb!

[JPW]

Clean out the fridge stir fry -- chicken, carrot, red onion, basil in a chile paste with garlic.

[Banco]

Had the first chance to cook a decent dinner in quite a while last night: Chicken breasts from TJ's (which I think are quite good) poached in finely minced onion and butter in the oven under buttered parchment a la Julia. The butter had been previously used to sauté some mushrooms, and after cooking the chicken I added them to the reduced poaching liquid with cream, stock, a dollop of mustard, and a dousing of Savennières. I sliced the chicken into medallions and served everything in the pan, a Bourgeat copper oval fry pan that my wife gave me for my birthday. Very old-fashioned, very bourgeois, very comforting. Tonight I'll try my hand at some Szechuan shrimp.

Edited by Banco, 30 June 2005 - 09:59 AM.

[bilrus]

Smoked Butt:





Happy 4th of July.

Edited by bilrus, 04 July 2005 - 08:20 AM.

[babka]

picnic in Malcom X last night to the music of the drummers:
Crab Cakes with mustard creme fraiche (a la Bob Kinkaid, and with thanks to our brand-spankin' new Giant--$10 for a pound of backfin blue crab!!!)
Spanish Tortilla
Flowery salad greens from the market
Stinky cheese & salami
& nectarines as the drummers wound down.

I love summer.